Vane structure in record discharge mechanisms



June27, 1944. F; J OFFEN I 2,352,552

VANE STRUCTURE IN RECORD DISCHARGE MECHANISM Original Filed May 7, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 27,1944. "F. J. OFFEN 7 VANE STRUCTURE IN n acoRb DISCHARGE MEC'HANISM ori inal Filed May '7. 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IFIG.Z

June 27, 1944.

F. J. QFFEN VANE STRUCTURE IN RECORD IDiSCHARGE MECHANISM 4 Shts-Shet s Original Filed Ma 7, 1941 June 27 v1944. F. J. QFFN 2,352,562 I VANE STRUCTURE INQRECORD DI SCHARGE MECHANISM Original Filed May 7. 1941 V 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ll lilll I u I.

w l i v l'Illlll'llllllIIIIIIIIJIIIJIIA Patented June 27, 1944 VANE STRUCTURE IN RECORD DISCHARGE MECHANISMS Francis John Ofien, Swindon, England, assignor to Garrard Engineering & Manufacturing Company, Limited, Swindon, England, a corporation oi Great Britain Original application May 7, 1941, Serial No.

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to electrically operated sound reproducing machines and is more particularly directed to mechanism for supporting a plurality of records stacked above the turntable of a reproducin machine and operable in timed relation. to other and cooperating mechanisms of the machine to successively release the records .ior disposition upon the turntable for reproduction.

Tlie primary object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanism for machines for reproducing recordings on discrecords, for e'fiecting the delivery of such records of the same 7 or different diameters, one at a time, for dis-' position upon the turntable or.other support in reproducing position.

More specifically, thisiinvention comprehends an automatically operating mechanism for electrically driven phonographs, for successively delivering a series of records stored in a stack formation above the turntable a phonograph, for disposition thereon in'reproducing position, by

Divided and this application 27, 1942; Serial No. 456,441

August ograph shown in the preceding'figure, disclosing the system or cams used to Operate the various mechanisms, including that of the'present in- Yention.

1 Figure 3 is a view in perspective, with parts broken away, of the record magazine and associated vane shifting mechanism.

releasing the records one at a time from the bot=- tom of the stack and concurrently lowering the remaining stacked records by one position to present another recordin releasable position.

Other objects and advantages flowing from the practicing of my invention will become evident as the description proceeds.

For the purposes of this disclosure, I have elected to show and describe my invention as it may be incorporated in an electrically driven phonograph. such as shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 392,200, filed May 7, 1941, which matured as Letters Patent No. 2,297,014, dated September 29, 1942, for Magazine phonographs, of which this application is a division, to cooperate in appropriately timed relation with other mechanisms thereof, in the functioning of r the phonograph. However, this is merelyv illustrative,. since, as will become manifest, my invention may be employed to equal advantage in other types of sound reproducing machines, electrically driven or otherwise, where automatic delivery of disc records to reproducing position is essential or desirable.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a preferred and practical embodiment of my invention; as used in a phonograph of the specific type disclosed in my aforesaid copendlng application, in which Figure l is a View in perspective of ,an electrically driven phonograph embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the phonup arm mounted on the motor board 32 and c Figure 4 is a perspective view of a detail of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section along the line iiiiv of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the record magazine in readiness to discharge the lowermost record, and

Figure-8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the lowermost record discharged from the magazine for disposition upon the turntable.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in

which like characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts in the several views, the phonograph, as shown, includes a tone or piclra turntable 33 embodying a record centering pin 34. A pair of diametrically oppositely disposed elevators l1 and 58 cooperate in the disposition of a record releasedirom the magazine, generally indicated by the reference numeral 35, upon the turntable, the records being retained in concentric relation in the magazine by the pin-ii vertically movable in the sleeve 38 carried by the arm 40. A knob 4| is provided for raising the pin 31 within its sleeve, to admit of stacking the rec-: ords within the magazine 35. A record support ing arm 50 is rotatableinto position beneath the,

record in the lowermost magazine position to cooperate therewith in supporting the stacked records, except during aperiod of coordination of the phonograph mechanisms'whenone of the elevators coacts with the magazine as a record support in engagement with a record is about to be released. as will be hereinafter explained in reater detail, another swingably mounted am).

42, being provided for reversing the records to I admit of the reproduction of both recordings thereon, and conveying them to the storage re I ceptacle H3 for disposition therein. For detecting the diameter of a magazine released record, a feeler arm 5| carrying a roller 52 is mounted adjacent the turntable 33 while provision is made for automatically 1 stopping the phonograph mechanisms by the actuation of a master switch, by means setlin operationby the clockwise rotation of-the arm 53 which abuts upon the edge includes a system of cams shown in Figure 2, the

shaft 60 carrying the gear 83 being driven through suitable reduction gearing from a motor.

by meansof the pinion 62 in mesh with said gear 3, the other end of shaft 60 is provided with a ear'fl in mesh with pinion 85 to drive the stub shaft 68. The cams on the stub shaft operate pick-up arm and the feeler arm UI, for ex ample, while the cams on the sleeve 68, which is adapted to be coupled to the shaft Oil by the clutch 265, function in the operation of'the record changing mechanism, one of these latter cams, indicated at 15, actuating the mechanism for releasing a record from the magazine, as

hereinafter described.

The magazine includes a series of vanes 36 rotatably mounted above the turntable 33, the

the driving shaft I by the clutch III, as aforesaid. As will be noted, the rotatable'sleeve 14a embraces a column," on which the vanes are mounted for individual rotation independently of said column, the vanes as herein shown being assembled upon said column between the head ,lla and the collar llb, both of which are pinned to saidcolumn, withsuitable spacers 10c interposed between adjacent vanes, to maintain them in vertically spaced relation. Obviously, in lieu of these. spacers, each vane may embody an integral hub to attain the requisite spacing of the record-engaging portions thereof. The head 18a is chambered for the reception of a spring lid, for maintaining the opposed surfaces of the vanes and cooperating spacers in close frictional association and to provide for the rotation of the series of vanes and said column as a unit, for returning the vanes to record-engaging position, when the column is vertically actuated in its bearings lie, as hereinafter described.

-The downward movement of the series of vanes, is produced in a like directional moverecord being released therefrom by the rotation of the lowermost vane clear of the edge of the record positionedthereon, the details of the vane actuating and control mechanism being clearly shown in Figures 3 to 6, in conjunction with Figure 1. The-means for actuating and controlling the vanes is an improvement on the construction shown in U. 8. Patent No. 2,188,769 to Downs.

The records R, which may be of mixed diameter, such as 10" and 12" records, are supported in vertically spaced relation by a series of vanes ll forming the magazine adjacent one side of the motor-board 32, each vane being adapted to engage beneath the under marginal surface of a record to support the records in conjunction with the arm III in stacked position above the turntable 33. The support arm is operated by one of the cams mounted on thecam sleeve. is to.

cooperate with the actuation of the vanes in a manner to release the records one at a time onto the aforesaid elevators l1 and II which are then actuated to lower the record onto the turntable.

rotation of the lowermost vane frombeneath the record to permit the latter to drop onto the ele-- vator 48 which has been raised to receive it, the

arm 50 again swinging beneath the record in the lowermost magazine position, to support the ment'of the column I6, step by step, within its bearing We, the column being supported in its highest position, by the upper end of the segmental extension ll of the sleeve 14a in engagement with the lowermost vane of the series. When the lowermo t vane is rotated out of recordengaging position, hereinafter. described, to a storage position, column 18 moves downwardly until the next vane of the series is engaged with said extension to support the vanes in recordengaging position, and so on throughout the operation of the mechanism Each vane 38 is provided with a lateral projection 11 at its column engaging end, which is formed for abutting engagement with the face of the ledge 18 projecting laterally from the upper end of said segmental extension N, which, in effect, is a continuation of the sloping cam surface 80, which rises from a point just above said ledge to its peak at the opposite side of said extension. Thus, when sleeve Ila and its segmental extension 14 are rotated as a unit, in a clockwise direction, the vertical surface of the ledge pressing against the engaged projection 11 of the lowermost vane 38 urges the vane in a like directional movement out of record-engaging position to a storage position at an angle of 90. degrees thereto. I

In this clockwise rotative movement of the segmental extension 14, the cam surface 80 thereof rides beneath the projection 11 of'the next lowest vane to-support the remaining mines of the series, the peak of the cam surface taking the load, when the ledge 18 reaches its ultimate position in the propulsion of the vane engaged thereby to its storage position. As the rotation of the segmental extension is reversed. in' resp nse to the spring actuation of the lever IS, the recession of the cam surface 80 beneath the vane projection stack, as the downward movement of the elevator 41 is initiated to coact with the like directional movement of the elevator 48 in conveying therecordto the turntable. As: each record is released from the magazine. the vanes and the records engaged therewith are lowered a sufiicient distance to bring the next vane, which becomes the lowest'of the series, into position to be swung laterally for release of the record engaged therewith. See Figures l and 8.

" The lateral movement of each vane in turn is effected in response to the rotation ofthesleeve Ila and its segmental extension 14. by the cam II mounted on the sleeve II which is coupled to abutting thereon produces a controlled downward movement of the record-supporting vanes with the column 16, until this movement is arrested as the projection 11 of the vane in engagement withthe cam-surface drops. onto the led e ll, as the segmental extension reaches its suitable buffer (not shown) of resilient materiah To prevent rotative movement of the vanes slots 82 in the pillar 8|.

2,352,562 above that in engagement with the ledge 78 of the segmental extension of the sleeve Ila, from record-engaging position, I provide a pillar 8| vmally, the projections H of thezvanes above the lowermost one in engagement with said ledge abut upon the portions of the flange between said open end slots to retain the vanes in record-engaging position.

' The sleeve "a, as stated is automatically rotated by the cam 15, the pinion 83 rigid with the lower end of said sleeve meshing with the rack 84 which is connected to one end of the lever 85 for reeiprocation'thereby. The lever 85 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, as at 86, the lower end thereof being connected to a fixed surface by the biasing spring 81. An arm 85a integral with said lever 85 carries a cam follower 88 continuously disposed in the pathof rotation of the nose 15a of said cam 15 for engagement thereby to rock said lever 85 counterclockwise, to

- actuate the rack 84 to the left (Fig. 3), causing leeve Ma and its segmental extension 14 to rotate in a clockwise direction to effect the rotation of the lowermost vane through an arc of 90 from its record-engaging position to its storage position, as set forth. The rack 84 is oppositely actuated (to the right) as the lever 85 is rotated clockwise under the influence. of said spring 81, inducing counterclockwise movement of the sleeves Ma and its segmental extension I4 for the disposition of the projection 11 of th! cam surfac supported vane upon the ledge 18 of said tofore explained.

When all of the records have been reproduced. the vanes which have been eachzrotated to storage extension, as hereposition in the successive release of the records from the magazine, may be returned to recordengaging position by raising the column 16 by means of the knob 9il to a position where their respective projections ll are aligned with the The manual rotation of the column counterclockwise permits the vane projections to pass through said slots to abut upon the flange surfaces therebetween as the column is released to move downwardly to its initial position, with the lowermost vane projection bearing upon the ledge 18, as described. This in sures correct alignment of all of the vanes for loading. I

The lower end of the column 16 carries a ratchet wheel 9| rigid therewith which is engaged by a pawl 92 urged into engagement with said wheel by the spring 93, the pawl being pivoted to plate 94. This plate 94 is bifurcated, as at 95, to embrace the rod 96 for sliding movement thereon when column 16 is vertically actuated, the pawl 92 in engagement with the ratchet wheel 9! preventing rotation of the column 16 by the clockwise manipulation of plate 94 is-restrained from ment with said rod 96.

While I have described my invention more or less specifically with reference to the embodiment hereinshown, as incorporated in a sound reproducing machine of a particular design. it will be obvious that similarly functioning elements of other forms and my mechanism may comprise 77 changes indetails of structure and arrangement of the elements, of my mechanism beingcontemplated within the spirit and scope of this distative movement thereon, independently of said column, eacli vane embodying an angularly disposed projection at its column-engaging end, means mounted on said column for maintaining said vanes in vertically spaced relation, a sleeve surrounding said column, said sleeve including a segmental extension embodying a sloping camsurface at its upper end and a ledge having an upstanding wall and a lateral projection forming a depressed continuationof said cam surface at its lowest point, the lateral projection of said ledge being normally disposed for engagement by the projection of the lowermost vane in record-engaging position to support all of said vanes, the upstanding wall of said ledge being normally disposed for abutment by the projection of the lowermost vane in record-engaging position and means for oscillating said sleeve about said column, said means being operative upon movement in one direction to displace the lowermost vane engaged with said extension v ledge out of record-engaging position and dispose the peak of said cam surface in supporting engagement with the projection of the next lowermost vane, said means upon movement in the opposite direction releasing the" displaced vane from engagement with said extension ledge and permitting the lowering of all of the remaining vanes in record-engaging position, bygravity under the supporting guidance of said cam surface, for ultimate disposition of the projection of the succeeding lowermost vane i n record-en-v gagement. with said ledge.

2. Mechanism for delivering a series of records arranged in a stack in succession to the turn table of a pho'nograph,.comprising a vertically movable column, a plurality of record-engaging vanes mounted on said column for individual rotative movement thereon, independently of said column, each vane embodying an angularly d sposed projection at its column-engaging end,

' means mounted on said column for maintaining said vanes in vertically spaced relation. asleeve surrounding said column, said sleeve including a segmental extension embodying a sloping cam surface at its upper end and a ledge having an upstanding wall atria-lateral projection forming a depressed continuation of said cam sur-' face at its lowest point, the lateral projection of said ledge being normally disposed for engagement by the projection of the lowermost vane I in record-engaging position to support all of said the knob 90, as'the rotation in engagemay cooperate with phonograph operating mechvanes, the upstanding wall of said ledge being normally disposed for abutment by the projece tion of the lowermost vane in record-engaging position means'for oscillat ng said sleeve about said column, said means being operative upon.

movement in one direction to displace the lowermost vane engaged with said extension ledge out of record-engaging position and dispose the peak of said cam surface in supporting engagement with the projection of the next lowermost vane. said means'upon movement in the opposite di-,

rection releasing the displaced vane from engagement with said extension ledge and permitnograph, including a series of record-engaging vanes, means for supporting said vanes in vertically spaced relation for individual rotation in a horizontal plane, said means including a verfor delivering a series of discrecords in succession to the turntable of a photically movable element and a device oscillatable relatively to said element embodying a downwardly sloping cam surface terminating in a ledge having an upstanding wall and a lateral projection below the lowermostlevel of the cam surface, the lateral projection of said ledge being normally disposed to supportingly engage the lowermost vane of the series to maintainall of said vanes in record-engaging position, the upstanding wall of said ledge being normally dis: posed for abutment-by the projection of the lowermost vane in record-engaging position, means for actuating said oscillatable device, said means being operable upon movement in one direction to displace said device to effect the lateral displacement of the vane in engagement with the ledge from recordsengagin position and concurrently transfer the support of the vanes remaining in record-engaging position to said cam surface, the operation of said actuating means upon movement in the opposite direction permitting a downward movement of all of-the vanes in, record-engaging position, by gravity in response to the lateral disto said cam surface, said latter means upon movement in the reverse direction permitting a downward movement of all of the vanes in record-engaging position, in response to' the displacement of said .device, whereby the lower most vane is guided in supported engagement with said cam surface downwardly under gravity toward said ledge for final disposition thereon, in the termination of the latter oppositely directed movement of said device, and means for manually lifting said vertically movable element when all of the vanes of said series have been rotated out of record-engaging position, to restore said vanes to record engaging position in a rotative movement of said element while raised.

5. Mechanism for successively delivering a series of records stacked above the turntable of a phonograph for disposition upon the turntable for reproduction, including a. series of record-engaging vanes, a vertically movable and laterally rotatable element for supporting said vanes in vertically spaced relation for individual rotation relatively thereto in a'horizontal plane, said vanes being conjointly movable vertically and rotatably as a unit with said element, a device mounted for oscillation relatively to said element embodying a downwardly sloping cam surface able in record-engaging position, meansfor acv placement of said-devicawhereby the succeeding lowermost vane is guided in supported engagement with said cam surface downwardly toward said ledge for final disposition thereon in the termination of the opposite directional movement of said device.

a 4. Mechanism for successively delivering a series of records stacked above the turntable of a phonograph for disposition upon the turntable for reproduction, including-a series of recordengaging vanes, a vertically movable and laterally rotatable element for supporting said vanes in vertically spaced relation for individual rotation relatively thereto in a horizontal plane, said vanes being conjointly movable vertically and rotatably as a unit with said element, a device mounted for oscillation relatively to said element embodying a downwardly sloping cam surface terminating in a laterally disposed ledge having anupstanding wall and a lateral projection below the lowermost level of the cam surface, the

lateral projection of said ledge beingnormally disposed to suppo vane of the series to maintain all of said vanes 1y engage the lowermost in record-engaging pofltion, the upstanding wall of said-ledge being normallyodisposed for abutment by the projectionof the lowermost vane in record-engaging position, means for actuating said oscillatable device, operable upon movement in one direction to displace said device to cifect terminating in'a laterally disposed ledge having an upstanding wall and a lateral projection below the lowermost level of the cam surface, the lateral projection of said ledge being normally disposed tosupportingly engage the lowermost vane 01' the series to maintain all of said vanes in record-engaging position, the upstandingwall of said ledge being normally disposed for abutment by the projection of the lowermost vane in record-engaging position, fixed means in juxtaposition to said vanes, engageable by the vanes above the ledge engaging vane, for maintaining the vanes above the'lowermost vane non-rotattuating said oscill'atable device, upon movement in one direction to displace said device to permit the lateral displacement of the vane in engagement with the ledge from record-engaging position and concurrently transfer the support of the vanes remaining in record-engaging position to said cam surface, said latter means upon movement in the reverse direction effecting a downward movement of all of the vanes in recordengaging position, in response to the displacement of said device, whereby the succeeding lowermost vane is guided in supported engagement with said cam surface downwardly under gravity toward said ledge for disposition thereon, in the termination of the reverse directional movement of said deviceand means for manually lifting said vertically movable element when all of the vanes of the series have been rotated out of record-engaging position to return all of the vanes to record-engaging position, in a rotative movement of said element while raised.

6. In combination with an electrically operated phonograph having a turntable and mechanism the lateral displacement of the vane in 'engage- V ment with the ledge. from record-engaging positio'l'fand concurrently transfer the'support of the vanes remainingin record-engaging position for delivering disc records to said turntable for reproduction, said mechanism including a rec-. ord magazine located above the turntable for supporting a series of records in stacked formation, an arm swingable into and out of position beneath the lowermost'record in said magazine for cooperating with said magazinein supporting 4, the stacked records, the records being releasable one at a time from the magazine'from the bottom of the stack, an elevator adapted to alternate with said arm in supporting the records preawaese iiininary to the release of the lowermost record from the magazine, a second elevator conjointly movable with the first elevator for disposing a said second elevatoryand means for eflecting the successive release of the records from the magazine, said means including a vertically movable column, a plurality of record-engaging vanes mounted on said column for individual lateral rotation in a horizontal plane, independently of said column, each vane embodying an angularly disposed projection at its column engaging'end, means mounted on said column for maintaining said vanes in vertically spaced relation, an osoillatable sleeve surrounding said column, said sleeve including a segmental extension 'embodying adownwardly sloping cam surface at its upper end, a ledge having an upstanding wall and a lateral projection forming a depressed continuation of said cam surface at its lowest point,

- the lateral projection of said ledge being normally disposed for engagement by the projection on the lowermost vane in record-engaging position to support'all of said vanes, the upstanding wall of said ledge being normally disposed for abutment by the projection of the lowermost vane .in record-engaging position, mechanism for oscillating said sleeve about said column, said mechanism being operable upon movement in one direction to rotate the lowermost vane en-, gaged with said extension led e out of recordengaging. position for the transfer of a record therefrom to the turntable, the rotation of said sleeve concurrently disposing the peak of saidcam surface in supporting engagement with the projection of the nextlowermost vane, said mechanism upon movement in the reverse direction 'being operable to rotate. said sleeve for permitting a downward movement of all of the vanes in record-engaging position, under gravity induced by the like directional movement of-the succeeding lowermost vane in record-engaging position inengagement with said cam surface for final disposition upon said extension ledge in the termination of the reverse directional movement of said sleeve, and fixed means adjacent said magazine formed for engagement by the projections 01' the vane above the ledge-engaging vane, for maintaining said vanes non-rotatable when in record-engaging position. v

FRANCIS JOHN OFFER. 

